Crisp apples, sour cherries, pumpkin custard, or chocolate cream- everyone loves a good pie. However, it is not that easy to make these delicious desserts. Ask a few expert bakers and they will tell you that there are many factors involved in making the perfect pie, and finding the right pie dish is the first crucial step. There are different types of pie dishes available in the market, but only a great pie dish can make your dessert look good and taste better. Whether you are blind-baking or perfecting a double-crust or latticed pie, a good pie dish is the key to everything.
A lot of factors come into play while choosing a pie dish. The right size, material, and heat distribution are just some of the many. Based on the opinions of numerous professional bakers, we have gathered some of the main factors to consider if you are thinking about buying a new pie dish.
The right material
Pie dishes mainly vary due to the material used to make them. Each variant can make significant changes in the taste and look of the pie. If you are looking to bake beautiful pies with an extra flair, then it is best to choose a good ceramic pie dish. It is one of the most popular and widely used pie dishes available today. It can conduct and distribute heat evenly to create wonderful golden-brown crusts. The best part is that it can go straight from the freezer to the oven since the material is known to withstand rapid temperature changes. For those who freeze their fruit pies before baking, this is an added benefit.
Metal pie dishes are an inexpensive choice and ideal for blind-baking. They are durable, and some of them are lightweight too. When considering these dishes, look for ones with non-stick surfaces, and try not to use metal utensils on them.
Glass pie dishes take time to heat up and spread the heat evenly. Once that point is crossed, then it is good to bake any type of pie you want. Some glass dishes can be too deep, making it difficult to cook certain pies without getting sloppy.
Size matters
The common size of a pie dish ranges from 8 to 12 inches. Many bakers usually prefer the 9-inch dishes as larger ones tend to produce deep and sloppy pies. The angled side of the pan should ideally measure between 1.24 to1.5 inches on the inside. If it measures to be larger than that, then it is considered as a “deep-dish” pan. If you already own one, then you can overcome this by forming the edge of the dough inside the rim of the dish. This will stop it from protruding out too much and getting burned while baking.
The best way to know the size is by pouring cups of water into the dish till it flows over the rim. If it takes 4 or 5 cups of water, then it is the right dish.
The Pre-Baking Dilemma
Pre-baking is meant to keep the crust crisp and prevent it from being soggy when filled. While debates are still going on about whether or not to pre-bake the pie crust, let’s assume that we are doing it for now.
Based on the material used, different pie dishes respond to heat in different ways. Metal is a good conductor of heat. So dishes made from metal can heat up and cools faster. Sturdy aluminum bakewares are popular for this reason. Glass, on the other hand, takes time to heat up. Ceramic plates are also similar to glass when it comes to conducting heat. However, they are freezer-to-oven safe. This is a major advantage in pre-baking and can accelerate the whole process.
